


it's nice to have a friend

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Flufftober 2019 [24]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, implied crush so you can totally just read this as friendship, maybe a tiny bit bittersweet knowing jonathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 08:37:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21158765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: When Sebastian asks if he can take the empty seat at an occupied cafe table, he doesn't expect to grow so fond of the curious man who agrees.





	it's nice to have a friend

**Author's Note:**

> Flufftober Day 24 - Photography

“Is this seat taken?” Sebastian asks, motioning to the empty chair across the table from a guy at the cafe. The tables are all full, and though most of them only have one of two or three chairs occupied Sebastian knows how to read body language well enough to know that nobody else wants to share their space. He isn’t totally sure about the guy he asks but they met eyes a few times since he arrived and ordered his drink, and he thinks it might turn out okay. Worst case scenario he takes the drink to go. 

After a very long pause Sebastian nearly gives up, but the guy eventually nods. 

They get to talking - the guy’s name is Jonathan, he just left home, barely has anything to his name and honestly seems more than a little awkward at first - but the more they talk, the more Sebastian smiles encouragingly when Jonathan shares that he’s trying to find his sister, the more Jonathan opens up in their conversation. 

Sebastian buys him a hot chocolate and pastry when he goes to get himself a refill, insisting it’s a fitting repayment for letting him share the table. He feels for Jonathan who looks confused and suspicious over every small act of kindness Sebastian’s offered him over this short period of time. 

It’s obvious from the start that Jonathan is self-conscious about his face - he keeps it mostly hidden under a hat and Sebastian can see the prominent scars of what looks to be burns when he turns in the sunlight just right. Sebastian doesn’t pry, no matter how curious he is, and instead simply continues their interaction as if he hadn't noticed them at all. Mostly Jonathan looks serious, or neutral at best, but once and a while Sebastian startles a laugh out of him that he wishes would stay for more than just a few seconds. Jonathan’s entire face transforms when he smiles, and it’s captivating. 

It’s about an hour into their time together when Sebastian takes out a polaroid camera he got from a friend. During their conversation he stops to take a photo of their half-empty cups on the table. It’s cliche and ‘ _ artsy’ _ but not half-bad, he thinks, watching the polaroid dispense from the camera in his hands and slowly start to develop. Jonathan watches intently as well, mouth open in awe as if he just witnessed some sort of miracle. 

“Please tell me you’ve seen a polaroid before,” Sebastian says, raising an eyebrow. He knows they’re a bit of a returning retro fad, but  _ still _ . 

“I haven’t,” Jonathan admits. 

“They’re pretty cool. Here, smile!” Sebastian says without thinking, lifting the camera up to aim it across the table at his lunch companion. 

Jonathan looks like Sebastian just asked him to jump into a pool of sharks instead of just to smile, his expression immediately wide-eyed with horror. 

“I don’t think you want to do that,” Jonathan says quietly, pulling the brim of his hat down a little farther to shade his face. 

“I know we only just met, but I can assure you that a few scars aren’t going to send me running.” Sebastian shrugs. “But I understand if you’d rather not.” 

Jonathan seems to consider this for a minute, and Sebastian allows him the time to think without talking over his thoughts. 

“It’s just… I’ve never had a photo of myself,” he admits. 

“What?” Sebastian says, the question full of disbelief. “What if we take one together, for you to keep. Or throw away. Or do whatever you want to do with it.” 

Jonathan still seems hesitant. 

“Or not,” Sebastian says with a shrug, and changes the topic again to some places in the area Jonathan can check out to stay for the night, some things to do in his free time here if he doesn’t have any other plans. 

They stay and talk some more, Sebastian orders scones, and at the end of another hour Sebastian realizes he needs to go to work and excuses himself. That’s when Jonathan reaches out his hand to stop him, grabbing Sebastian’s wrist. There are scars on his hands, too, and Jonathan tenses when he sees them out in the sunlight but Sebastian doesn’t flinch away - he only stops and turns back with a questioning look. 

“...could we take that picture?” Jonathan asks. 

Sebastian smiles. “Of course.” He leans in so that his face is right next to Jonathan’s, practically touching but not quite, and lines up the shot the best he can without seeing. “Are you going to…?” the question trails off, but he’s looking pointedly at the hat. 

Jonathan hesitates, finally reaching up to pull the hat from his head, running a hand through his hair to try and tame the worst of it. Without the distraction Sebastian can see there are a lot of scars - some faded, some fresh - but since he’s anticipating them Sebastian doesn’t even bat an eyelash before putting his arm back out to take a photo. He clicks the button and Jonathan immediately moves to grab for the hat again. 

Now it’s Sebastian’s turn to reach out and grab Jonathan’s arm to stop him. 

“Don’t,” Sebastian says, though the word is soft and more of a request than a demand. “I mean, you shouldn’t. You look perfect, just like this. And if people don’t see that then that’s on them.” 

Jonathan fidgets with the hat in his hand but doesn’t put it back on. It’s such a small thing, but it’s more than enough to bring another brilliant smile to Sebastian’s face. Instead of leaving right away Sebastian gives the photo a bit of time to start to develop before taking out a pen and writing carefully on the back of the photo: ‘ _ Thanks for the lovely afternoon. If you ever want to meet up again, call me. -Seb. _ ’ along with his number. 

“I hope I’ll see you around again,” Sebastian says, and this time leaves before Jonathan gets the chance to inspect the photo and react to what he wrote on the back. 

When Sebastian gets a text a few minutes later that reads, ‘ _ I’d like that. And thank you for the photo - it’s beautiful.’ _ he can’t ignore that small flutter of hope he feels. 

There’s nothing quite like an unexpected new beginning. 

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com) and also on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell)! <3 )


End file.
